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Bishop Braxton to ordain seven new deacons July 26 at the cathedral

“They presented these men to the apostles, who first prayed over them and then imposed hands on them.” These words from the Acts of the Apostles (6, 6-7) will be brought to life again in the Cathedral of St. Peter at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, July 26, as The Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton ordains seven men to the Order of Deacon. These permanent deacons, unlike transitional deacons who will later be ordained to the priesthood, will commit themselves to the service of the Church as deacons for the rest of their lives. The ordination will take place on the Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, parents of St. Mary, Mother of the Lord. All are welcome to attend this beautiful and prayerful ceremony.

The new deacons are: Deacon Richard E. Bagby, Deacon Arthur L. Hampton, Deacon Linus H. Klostermann, Deacon George G. Mills, Jr., Deacon Glennon J. Netemeyer, Deacon Stephen M. Pautler, and Deacon Dennis W. Vander Ven. With ordination these men become incardinated members of the clergy of the diocese. They are being called upon to assume very important roles in the Church. Like future priests, candidates for the diaconate present themselves to the Church expressing the desire to serve. Their vocation, however, is only confirmed when they are formally called by the bishop. For this reason, the bishop spent considerable time in private prayer and careful consultation before calling them individually to the diaconate in the chapel at his residence on Wednesday, July 9.
Priests, family members, parishioners, and friends from around the diocese will gather to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them during the ceremony, which will be the first ordination of permanent deacons for Belleville since April 19, 1997. They will also be joined by deacons from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo., who studied with them during the four year part-time academic and formation program provided by St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana. This will be a day of special joy and pride for their wives (all but one are married), who have supported and encouraged them throughout their years of preparation. Married men may become permanent deacons. However, they may not remarry in the event of the death of their wives. Unmarried men who become deacons must remain celibate.

The diaconate is one of the three Orders of Holy Orders (deacons, priests, bishops) found in the New Testament structure of the early Church. The ordination takes place when the Bishop lays hands on the heads of candidates in silence and then prays the Prayer of Ordination. St. Stephen, the first martyr, was a deacon, as was St. Lawrence and St. Francis of Assisi. One of the significant renewals of the Second Vatican Council (1961-1964) was the restoration of the diaconate which, for centuries, had been only a brief transitional ministry for men who would later become priests.

When the American bishops petitioned the Holy See for permission to restore the diaconate in the United States in 1968, they gave five primary reasons: 1.) To complete the hierarchy of Sacred Orders and to enrich and strengthen the many and various diaconal ministries at work in the United States with the sacramental grace of the diaconate, 2.) To enlist a new group of devout and competent men in the active ministry of the Church, 3. To aid in extending needed liturgical and charitable services to the faithful in both large urban and small rural communities, 4.) To provide an official and sacramental presence of the Church in areas of secular life, as well as in communities within large cities and sparsely settled regions, where few or no priests are available, 5.) To provide an impetus and source for creative adaptations of diaconal ministries to the rapidly changing needs of our society. The Church in the United States and in the Diocese of Belleville has certainly benefited from Pope Paul VI’s decision to grant the bishops’ request.

While permanent deacons are often assigned by the bishop to their home parishes, they are actually ordained to the service of the diocese with a unique bond to the bishop. Hippolytus, in “Apostolic Tradition,” writes that deacons “are ordained within the ministry of the Bishop.” The Bishop determines their assignment in light of the needs of the diocese. The primary pastoral responsibilities of deacons include: “helping the bishop and his priests in the ministry of the Word, of the altar, and of charity. As ministers of the altar, they will proclaim the Gospel, prepare the sacrifice, and distribute the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful. It will be their duty, at the bishop’s direction, to exhort believers and unbelievers alike in holy doctrine, preside over public prayer, administer baptism, assist at and bless marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying and conduct funeral rites. They will perform works of charity in the name of the bishop or the pastor. They are to go about all of these duties in such a way that the Christian faithful will recognize them as disciples of Him who came not to be served, but to serve.”(Cf. Bishop’s Instruction, Rite of Ordination)

Deacons may also be given the faculty to preach the homily at the Sunday Eucharist. However, Bishop Braxton has asked the new deacons to gain a year’s experience in ministry and complete courses in homiletics before seeking the faculty to preach from him. During the liturgy Bishop Braxton will remind the new deacons of the words of St. Polycarp: “Be merciful and zealous, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who made Himself the minister of all.” The bishop asks everyone to pray for the fruitfulness of the ministries of his new co-workers in the harvest. “May their ministry at the altar be undertaken with great reverence, may their proclamation of the Word of God be undertaken with great fidelity to the Church, and may their works of charity be undertaken with genuine love. May the Lord who begins this good work in them, bring it to completion.”

Deacon Richard E. Bagby
Deacon Bagby was born on Aug. 13, 1949. He and his wife, Patricia, are members of St. Boniface Parish in Germantown. They have three children: Brian Bagby, Mark Bagby, and Nicholas Bagby.

“With the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit, I hope to servethe people of God as an adult faithformation teacher, as a pastoral care provider at St. Joseph’s Hospital, as a prison ministry volunteer, and as a servant toall who need a minister and friend. I will seek to serve my fellow human beings in order to bring them closer to the message of Christ to “love one another as I have loved you.”

Deacon Arthur L. Hampton
Deacon Hampton was born Aug. 26, 1957. He and his wife, Margaret, are members of Holy Trinity Parish in Fairview Heights. They also have a long association with St. Augustine of Hippo Parish in East St. Louis. They have six children: Dion Jenkins, Samira Jenkins, Demitrius Hampton, Antonio Hampton, Alana Warhoover,and Arthur Hampton.

“As a Deacon I would like to participate more fully in parish life, be a hospital chaplain, and also be a retreat coordinator or speaker. I’ll always remember first and foremost the ministry of my family life.”
Deacon Linus H. Klostermann

Deacon Klostermann was born on May 21, 1954. He and his wife, Susan, are members of St. Dominic Parish in Breese. They have four children: Barbara Smith, Thomas Klostermann, Debra Deiters, and Philip Klostermann.

“It is my hope that God will use me as an instrument to make his presence more visible to people who are most in need of his love. For me, diaconate formation has been a time ofconversion, a pathway of being drawn closer and closer to God. My prayer is that I keep moving down this pathway. I want to share the joy our faith offers and put it into action by proclaiming God’s Word and serving others.”

Deacon George G. Mills Jr.
Deacon Mills was born on March 6, 1937. He and his wife, Debbie, are members of Corpus Christ Parish in Shiloh. They have five children: Scott Mills, Karen Jones, Margaret Mills, Mark Mills, and Jessie Mills.

“I look forward to being able to serve the Corpus Christi faith community in many more ways. I see my new role at baptisms, marriages, and funeral liturgies as ways for me to show God’s great love for all his people. I pray that my reflections on sacred Scripture will reveal Jesus’ words as a great source of hope for the trials we all face in today’s world. I am very excited about having a greater involvement in the Mass and the Eucharist, which is a great source of God’s infinite grace.”

Deacon Glennon J. Netemeyer
Deacon Netemeyer was born on May 5, 1960. He and his wife, Robbin, are members of St. Bernard Parish in Albers. They have two children: Randy and Shannon.

“With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I hope to use my unique liturgical talents and abilities to continually extend the sense of fellowship and servitude, welcoming all to worship opportunities through the ministry of outreach.”

Deacon Stephen M. Pautler
Deacon Pautler, who was born Sept. 9, 1960, is unmarried. He is the son of Margaret Pautler. He is a member of St. Boniface Parish in Evansville. He has one brother, Brian Pautler; one niece, Heather; and one nephew, Travis.

“I really look forward to serving as a deacon and helping others grow closer to God through all the twists and turns of life. I love Scripture. One of the greatest joys in service to the Church will be to proclaim the Gospel. I want to expand my relationship with God, to strive for communion with him and to embrace his gifts, become an effective instrument for the Lord.

Deacon Dennis W. Vander Ven
Deacon Vander Ven was born on April 4, 1948. He and his wife, Deborah, are members of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in O’Fallon. They have eight living children: Timothy Naegele, James Naegele, Curtis Vander Ven, Kevin Vander Ven, Kimberly Naegele, Preston Vander Ven, Lavinia Hubbard, and Scott Vander Ven. Their son, Jeremy Vander Ven died in 2001 at age 28.

“During my lifelong Christian journey, I have come to love the Church. Several years ago when I learned about the start of a new deacon formation class, I felt a nudge in my spirit to apply, and with the counsel of others I followed this leading of the Spirit throughout the formation process. My love of the Lord and the Church has only strengthened. I look forward to sharing this love with others within the Church and the wider community in my new ministry.”